The Boys' War: Confederate and Union Soldiers Talk About the Civil War – A Golden Kite Award Winner About America's Bloodiest Conflict for Children

by Jim Murphy

This contemporary classic explores the role of boys who fought in the Civil War. No reader’s vision of America’s most brutal and bloody war will be the same after reading this book. “This wrenching look at our nation’s bloodiest conflict through the eyes of its youthful participants serves up history both heartbreaking and enlightening.” — Publishers Weekly Some Union and Confederate soldiers were as young as twelve when they went off to fight in the Civil War. It is thought that as many as ten to twenty percent of all Civil War soldiers may have been under sixteen. The Boys' War  follows these young soldiers through the rigors of camp life and drilling, right into the chaos of the battlefield. Jim Murphy skillfully weaves together firsthand accounts and personal letters of these countless young men with historical context to paint their portrait—young soldiers who, either seeking escape from the drudgery of farm work or embracing fantasies of glory, participated in the Civil War. Handsomely produced with numerous period photographs and drawings, The Boys' War is a winner of the Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. “Making extensive use of the actual words—culled from diaries, journals, memoirs, and letters—of boys who served in the Union and Confederate armies as fighting soldiers as well as drummers, buglers, and telegraphers, Murphy describes the beginnings of the Civil War and goes on to delineate the military role of the underage soldiers and their life in the camps and field bivouacs. Also included is a description of the boys' return home and the effects upon them of their wartime experiences. An excellent selection of more than 45 sepia-toned contemporary photographs augment the text of this informative, moving work.” — School Library Journal  (starred review) “This well-researched and readable account provides fresh insight into the human cost of a pivotal event in United States history.” — The Horn Book  (starred review)

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Civil War, War, American Civil War, American History, Read For School

110 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

An American author of more than 35 nonfiction and fiction books for children, young adults, and general audiences, including more than 30 about American history. He won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 2010 for his contribution in writing for teens. Jim lives in Maplewood, New Jersey, in a hundred-year-old house with his wife Alison Blank, a children’s TV producer and children’s book author and editor, his two talented musician sons, a regal mutt, an African water frog that will live forever, and a house vast collection of books..

Reviews

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. From the same era as the winner of the 1988 Newbery Award Lincoln: A Photobiography, this is another perspective on the Civil War, a war that I don't hear much about these days. At only about 100 pages and with full page photographs, those who enjoyed Lauren Tarshis's I Survived series or who are ready to read about a war that's not World War II will want to give this try.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never read about the Civil War in such a basic and simplistic way before. This is a sad, but true book about the boys who fought in the Civil War. Some were as young as 10 years old! I have a ten year old and I can't imagine him not only witnessing what these boys saw, but being part of it as well. Most of these boys had a naive fantasy of what war was until they saw first hand the realities of what war was really all about. This is a good read for all the boys out there that share the same naive fantasies to help them understand the truth of what it really is like to fight and kill in a war.

[Mary Catherine Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting.

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay so its been a minute and just getting time to review this book I read as I support a really awesome 5th grade ELA and Social Studies teacher and I like to stay abreast on what they are reading and lo and behold they are getting into one of my admittedly morbid but fascinating favorite time periods in history which is the Civil War..I know I know being African American and a woman at that this time period would have been hellish for me and my ancestors but the lead in, the actual war and the post reconstruction period has always intrigued me, I know it is a tragic and catastrophic time in history pitting brother against brother and a nation against itself and for all these reasons I have always been interested in learning more about it, so I read about it any chance I get and this book dealt with boys who snuck through the age requirement to join the war for what they felt would be an exciting time. I really appreciated the layout of this book taking us from reasons why a twelve year old would join the war, their experiences (activities, diet, emotions), and what could and may have happened to them in this bloody and fast moving war. Hearing about details such as ammunition, uniforms, rations, and daily troubles was very interesting and I think one of my favorite little known facts had to do with drummers as before I assumed it was a position that would be the first to be eliminated in the hierarchy of importance but I learned just how vital they were in a battle for calling of commands and just showing and sounding out where your troop is; I also learned that the Civil War was the last war that drummers were used in, I also as always stagger at the death statistics and the massive amount of wounded and injured soldiers and wonder at the stories of the men who gave their life for what they believed in for that hard four years..I am grateful to hear the stories from some of the youngest fighters and think my 5th graders will really get a lot from this work full of rich pictures, description and easy to read language depicting the realities of the war that changed America forever….fascinating and very well written..Recommended.

[Travis Starnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Written by my son)

The Boys’ War by Jim Murphy is an interesting book. Its perspective of the Civil War is different from any other book about the conflict. In most books, you’ll probably find some historian with lots of facts and statistics giving you a bystander’s point of view. The Boys’ War however will put you in the action and still have factual information you expect from a history book. More importantly it shows you the war from the perspective of boys who were involved.

There are a few things that aren’t so great though. The cover could really use some work. It is very pain and doesn’t seem to fit the events in the book. Also, like one of my writing teachers once said, “I like how when he decided it would be crazy, he made it all the way crazy”, meaning there are points when he should have not done quite as much. For instance the book needs focus less on the small details, like how uniforms would get mixed up. Then again, nothing is perfect.

I personally like reading about the civil war and the assassination of Lincoln, so this book was a good choice for me. It’s a quick read that you could probably finish in a day if you wanted to. It can sometimes be a bit graphic and there is a fair bit of action, but mainly the book is about what daily life was like in the war. You might enjoy it if you like historical fiction and especially if you are a kid.

[Brennan Boucher · Rating 3 out of 5]

*read for grade 5, wit and wisdom, module 3* content is interesting and good source of information about the civil war. Several pictures are not age appropriate. Would be best to use in a middle school classroom.

[Porter Broyles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I checked this book out from my library as an audio book. When I checked it out, I didn't realize that the book was for young adults---which is perfect for me. I am a Cub Master and professional children's entertainer, I'd been looking for a book on the Civil War for kids.

The book is pretty interesting. It talks about how kids were not supposed to join the Army, but many did so via unethical means and with parental permission. It talked about some of the more common positions minors could serve in (drummer, telegraph carrier, etc).

The story kept returning ot a few youth who kept a journal of their experiences.

This was a quick easy book, but I have two criticisms:

1) And this is probably not something to go into a young adult book, but I was hoping there would be more on the psychological toll of these children soldiers. How did the experience of going off to war during those final formative years affect teens compared to adults?

2) The author missed a golden opportunity. There was no mention of the youngest Medal of Honor winnter or any of the other youth who earned the MoH. As an adult who works with kids, they always get excited/interested when I point out that they are already too old to become the youngest MoH receipient ever!

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sad book. Sad circumstances. But for the time in the US, I can see why these kids joined the fighting. The pictures were hard to look at, for me anyway. The information was very well put together. A really good book for kids to do book reports.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was more informational about certain topics, and had some pop from the boy soldiers, but a lot less than I was expecting.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Miss, we’re done with this book already? Good, it’s boring” 😅

[Gary Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

16th book read in 2017.

Number 301 out of 581 on my all time book list.

[Iris Kerns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly engaging, considering history can be terribly dull and dry--while nonetheless important. I was more interested in this than I thought I would be.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book!

While the subject content was a bit disturbing (who really wants to know that young boys were soldiers and how they died horrible deaths), the book itself was very interesting. It explained some of the lesser known facts of war, such as the drummers were often killed to slow the advancing opposition, as well as the color of a uniform helped decide the Battle of Bull Run.

I appreciated that the author made note of the "changes" that occur in each soldier. War itself can change anyone, but the Civil War was especially tough on the young boys who lied about their age when enlisting so young. The imagery is so vivid, I felt like I was really there and had actually seen Lieutenant Lantry and his head wounds. I also wasn't aware that prison camps were utilized back then. This book emphasizes how big they really were and how many men died in them.

This book had gruesome pictures of young, dead soldiers, so reader beware. I found the text interesting, as something we should know about our past.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clearly authored for the classroom, this is an interesting, concise look at war time as a teenager serving in the Civil War. The use of first-person quotes is very well done and there are some interesting facts, including 10-20% of all those who served in the armies were under the age of 18, that drummer boys were often targets to slow down an enemy advance and that this was the last war in which drummers were used to announce maneuevers. I didn't realize that many teens also saw service as telegraph operators.
Published in 1990, this doesn't tell the true story of Civil War Medicine and touts the debunked myths of lack of chloroform and ether leading to the use of alcohol (brandy or whiskey). Alcohol was considered a stimulant to be administered for shock during the war; 95% of all surgeries had chloroform or ether administered.
I wish the sources were better documented to be able to further study some of the young men quoted. The descriptions of first battles were especially poignant.
All in all, a solid read for a young historian.

[Alysa Fenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book for a paper. I’m completing it to two other books one written in 1902 the other in 2019. This book does a good showing war for what it is. It doesn’t glorify fighting in war, it tells the truth of what war was like for both sides who were fighting. Readers get to read quotes from letters written by young boys who managed to fight in the war eventho they were too young to enlist. The main problem with this book is that it only focuses only on white males and their experiences when they were not the only ones fighting or affected by the war. There were also several pictures of dead bodies and even skulls which felt a bit gruesome for a book whose intended audience is children likely grades 4th through 8th.

[Michael Duchaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book would be more along the lines of profiles of boys who fought. What you get is a quick 100+ pages giving you the accelerated version of what one could expect to experience from the war's beginning to end. It could easily read as if it were telling the stories of men of all ages who fought in the war.

That being said, it's a very simple read but conveys the message wonderfully of just how difficult an experience the war must have been. I also appreciated that the author found unique quotes from those who fought rather than regurgitating the same old references or letters.

I recommend this for young adults or those who want to start learning about the war but don't know where to start.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to the boys who wrote letters to home and the families who kept them, this author could tell their story. As a nurse scientist who uses qualitative methods, this book reads like the letters were gathered and from them the themes emerged and these became chapters. I listened to this book and the narrator's voice was perfect for the story. I didn't understand role of drummers, questioning because so many images from the Civil War have drummers. This was explained in the book. The book also provided added insights and understanding that had eluded me since studying American history.

[Lauren D. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I may have rated it higher if I wasn't reading it for my 5th grader! Yikes! Parts of the book and images will not be appropriate for lots of 10s and 11s. I have spoken to many other parents, teachers and even a principal who agree, so this is not simply my opinion. I know some kids really enjoy gore, but they can get that extra bit at home if their parents feel it adds value to their education. On the other hand, you can't unsee or unlearn things :(. My kids don't care for graphic images or details by nature, and they are not alone. School should contain material that is appropriate for almost everyone ... not just half or so. Maybe better for 7th or 8th grade students.

[Skylar Newbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the best Civil War juvinile book I have read, and believe me, I have read many. The author goes into the subject in a way that a child could understand if they needed to read the book for a school project etc.. I found myself hooked into this book on the first sentence. The pictures added alot to the book and I thought the direct quotes from the soilder's diaries was great. This was a great book that even the youngest of children interested in this war could enjoy. There is violence in it, but as always, It can't be a Civil War book if there isn't any.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye opening record of boys aged 13-17 that enlisted in the Civil War. Many ran away from home thinking they were going on an grand adventure, only to discover the horrors of war. Medicine out in the field was alarmingly medieval, there were never enough supplies and they often foraged or stole food. Most of their weapons and tactics dated back to the revolutionary war. This book was crafted using letters written home by boy soldiers. I learned quite a bit!

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this with my 5th graders and was really impressed with how it balances being informative and detailed yet also accessible. The kids loved the photographs and I loved the frequent use of primary source documents. I probably wouldn’t read it with students younger than 5th grade due to the graphic nature of some of the images and subject matter, but overall I think it was a great teaching tool.

[Kiera S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a good book if you want a vivid description of what the drummer boys from both sides went through during the American Civil War. This is the book that got me wanting to read more about this time period.

It is a informative book though. So if you are looking for an action packed novel don't pick this up.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Large print and pictures make this 95 page book a quick read. Readers will get a real sense for what it was like to fight in the civil war as a young boy through direct quotes from soldiers. Many people today have no idea what it was like for these young boys. Everyone should read this book to appreciate the sacrifices so many young boys made on both sides of the war.

[Jerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an historical facts book about the young boys that fought in the Civil War. The accounts were given from both the North and South sides. I found this to be an interesting book. I think all middle school age students should read this one.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

A non-fiction story of the young boys who went to war during the Civil War. This was an interesting story of the personal side of war. I feel these boys were looking for the adventure and glory when they illegally enlisted and then found blood and gore and a loss of innocence.

[Susan Molloy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey, Kid!

🖊 Very interesting book about youth and boys serving in the American Civil War. The old photographs are a nice touch, but some are too dark to study in the Kindle version.

🎨Illustrated.

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[Haley Livers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this history book! Recounting the American civil war through the forgot children who helped. A side of history rarely taught which is sad, as their stories and experiences matter and deserve to never be forgotten.

[Randal Jr. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a superficial but enjoyable Civil War nonfiction book which integrates a lot of first-hand accounts of underage soldiers and drummer boys.

[Susan Honthumb · Rating 4 out of 5]

sad, but informative. Maybe someone will check it out of my little free library.

[Roxie Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and informative. Pictures and personal accounts of civil war battles and life in the war as told by soldiers 16 and under.